Railroad switch



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

I W. W. DOTY. RAILROAD $WITOH.

Patented Mar. 10

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INVENTOR ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTOLITKQWASNINGTDNJ C.

with parts in section.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM W. DOTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO CHARLES J. BICKMANN, JOSEPH C. GRAUTEN, AND CHARLES C. GRAUTEN, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,260, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed June 20, 1895. Serial No. 553,424. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. DOTY, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved railroad-switch Which is simple and durable in construction, more especially designed for use on street-railways, and arranged to hold the switch normally closed to the side track, and to permit the side track to automatically open and close the said track relative to the main track.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the car for the said track. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the improvement 011 the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a like view of part of the improvement on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same with the parts in a different position.

The main track A A is provided in the rail A with a switch-point B, adapted to open and close the main track at the side of the trackrail C. The point B is pivoted at B, and its free end is formed on the under side with a recess 13 (see Figs. 5 and 6,) in which projects the upper end of an L-shaped arm D, loosely connected by a set-screw E with the forward end of a lever F, fulcrumed at F in a suitable casing G, arranged at the outside of the main track, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

The rear end of the lever F is provided with a bracket F on which is secured an obliquelyextending arm F adapted to be actuated by a mechanism on the car I, so as to impart a swinging motion to the lever F to move the switch-point B into an open position to permit the car to actuate the lever F and pass from the main track A A upon the rails C and C of the said track.

In order to impart a proper swinging motion to the lever F, I provide the latter on the bracket F with a projection F adapted to abut against a bracket H, secured to a sleeper A for the rail A, as plainly indicated in Fig. 4. This projection F serves as a second fulcrum for the lever F to move the forward end of the lever inward at the time the arm F is pressed inward by the mechanism on the car I. This mechanism on the car I is provided with double arms J, secured on the ends of a shaft K, extending transversely and journaled in suitable bearings attached to the under side of the car I.

On the shaft K,at or near the middle thereof, is secured a double arm K, connected by links K with levers L L extending in opposite directions and fulcrumed on the under side of the car, the outer ends of the levers reaching to the two platforms at the ends of the car I.

The outer end of each lever is provided with an upwardly-extending rod N, formed on its top with a disk adapted to be pressed on by.

the foot of the operator standing on the platform, so that a swinging motion is given to the respective lever L or L to turn the shaft K and to throw the rear end of the doublearmed lever downward, so as to engage the arm F As the latter stands obliquely to the track A, the arm J in striking the arm F presses the latter inward to move the projection F in engagement with the bracket H, so that the lever F is turned to swing with its forward end inwardly to cause the looselyconnected arm D to push the switch-point B inwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5 that is, into an open positionto permit the car to pass from the main track A A upon the side-track rails C .C.

In order to hold the lever F in an innermost position, I provide the forward end of 5 IOO inwardly at its forward end the said block F drops behind the shoulder G to lock the lever in this innermost position and consequently hold the switch-point B open. The car now passes upon the side-track rails O O, and when the rear wheels have passed upon the side-track rails then one of the forward wheels comes in contact with the projecting end 0 of a lever O, fulcrumed at O in the casing G, and engaging with its rear end 0 the under side of the block F to lift the latter with this end of the lever F upward, to bring the block over the shoulder G and to permit a spring P, pressing on the said lever 1*, to return the latter to its forward normal position. The lever F in returning to this position carries the arm D of the switch-point 13 back to its original positionthat is, again closing the switch to the side track.

It is understood that the pivot for the lever F is sufliciently loose to permit the projection 1* to act as a fulcrum for the lever F to swing the forward end thereof inward when the arm F is pressed by the rear end of the double arm J. \Vhen the block 1* is lifted by the lever O, as previously described, to disengage the shoulder G the lever swings back to its normal position by the action of the spring 1, the said lever swinging on the fulcrum F.

It will further be seen that when the switchpoint B is in a normal closed position a vehicle passing over the switch will accidentally shift the point into an open position; but as soon as the vehicle-wheel has left the switch the latter will swing back to its closed position by the action of the lever 1 as the latter is pressed by the spring P, and only yields sufficiently at the time the wheel of the vehicle comes in contact between the rail 0 and the switch-point.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, is not liable to get out of order, and can be readily attended to, as the casing G and the parts contained therein are all located 011 the outside of the track.

It will further be seen that the mechanism on the car for manipulating the lever F is very simple, and the said mechanism may be actuated from either end of the car without changing any of the parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A railroad-switch, provided with a lever pressed on by a spring and connected at its forward end with the switch-point, the said lever having two fulcrums and being adapted to be actuated byadevice upon the car, substantially as shown and described.

2. A railroad-switch, comprising a springpressed lever, an arm extending in an oblique direction relative to the track, the said arm being held 011 a bracket of the lever to be pressed on by a device 011 the car, the forward end of the said lever being provided with a block adapted to engage a shoulder to lock the lever in position, substantially as shown and described.

3. A railroad-switch, comprising a spring pressed lever, an arm extending in an oblique direction relative to the track, the said arm being held on a bracket of the lever to be pressed on by a device on the ear, the forward end of the said lever being provided with a block adapted to engage a shoulder, to lock the leverin position, and a second lever adapted to engage the said block, to lift the latter over the shoulder, the said second lever extending into the side track, to be engaged by one of the car-wheels as the latter pass upon the side track, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a switch, the combination with the switch-point, of an operating-lever, the same having two fulerums, substantially as described.

5. In a switch, the combination with the switch-point, of an operating-lever, the same comprising a horizontal portion and a perpendicular portion at one end, and a fulcrum for each portion, substantially as described.

6. In a switch, the combination with the switch-point, of an operating-lever connected thereto, a beam having a shoulder thereon and over which beam one end of the lever moves, and a second lever having a bent end movable through an opening in the beam and capable of lifting the operating-lever past the shoulder on said beam, substantially as described.

7. In a switch, the combination with the switch-point and a casing, of an operatinglever fulerumed therein and having a perpendicular portion at one end, a bracket rigid with the casing and forming the fulcrum of said perpendicular portion, and a fulcrum for the main part of the operatinglever, the said lever being connected to the switch-point, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM \V. DOTY.

Vitnesses THEO. G. IIosrEn, G. SEDGVVICK. 

